Poor eye tracking ability (causing problems reading or working on a computer)

Difficulties with shifting gaze quickly from one point to another

Focusing (poor clarity and unsteady vision)

Loss of binocular vision (eye alignment)

Eye strain

Fatigue

Glare, or light sensitivity

Inability to maintain visual contact

Headaches

Blurred near vision

The injury can also impact a person’s visual information processing ability. This can cause the following symptoms:

Spatial disorientation (making it difficult to figure out where to move about, walk down a hall, climb steps or drive)

Shifts in ability to judge location of objects

Difficulties with balance and posture

Poor depth perception

Memory loss

The brain’s visual processing is organized by two systems. One is the peripheral vision using the ambient process (information from a variety of senses and uses the information for orientation and movement. It contributes to balance; movement, coordination and posture and provides information on where you are in space). Second, the focal pathway (central vision and clarity of vision) which tells you what you are looking at. With a brain injury, the ambient process is often compromised, and your visual system can’t match information with your focal pathway and other elements of the visual system. Damage to this process is not picked up by a brain scan and the patient’s visual acuity is often a perfect 20/20. When these systems are affected, this influences not only balance and movement, but also perception of space and the ability to process information. When the brain cannot process the visual information with the rest of the information it is receiving, it results in feeling overwhelmed, nausea or dizziness (for example: in grocery stores or crowded environments). Through vision therapy and the proper use of prism and lens therapy, an optometrist specifically trained to work with Traumatic Brain Injury patients can help improve the flow and processing of information between the eyes and the brain. Vision therapy can be a very practical and effective approach to restoring a more normal quality of life.

]]>Diagnosis of a “lazy eye.” Now what??https://www.sightwork.com/2017/09/11/diagnosis-of-a-lazy-eye-now-what/
Mon, 11 Sep 2017 15:46:30 +0000/?p=3072Diagnosis of a “lazy eye.” Now what??

For parents who have just received a diagnosis or suspect that their child has amblyopia, often known as a lazy eye, there’s generally a sense of panic. Most parents rush to the computer to search for answers about lazy eye in children. As you begin to research the condition, here are 15 things to keep in mind:

Amblyopia is when the brain rejects the image from one eye, but the eyes may or may not be crossed. Strabismus is the term for an eye that crosses.

Amblyopia is caused by poor binocular vision (eyes not working together).

Amblyopia is reversible with therapy, unlike structural damage that may occur due to eye health problems. Instead of the problem being the physical structure responsible for vision, it has to do with the signal the brain is receiving from that eye.

The brain can “turn off” the image that is being sent from the eye that doesn’t see as well.

Amblyopia will affect a child’s ability to see in three dimensions (depth perception).

The acuity, or clarity, eventually becomes worse when the brain rejects the signal from the amblyopic eye.

Improving the acuity is just the first step to overcoming amblyopia. The eyes must also be retrained to work together. This is called binocular vision.

Strabismus (eye turn) can result in amblyopia, as the brain turns off the signal from the turned eye. A high refractive condition (or glasses prescription) can also result in amblyopia.

If your child is clumsy, their poor gross motor coordination may be related to one eye not seeing as clearly as the other. Amblyopia is a sign of poor vision development, and the visual system leads the way in gross and fine motor development.

Amblyopia may not always be detected at a vision screening.

Even over the age of eight children can benefit from treatment for amblyopia. Adults with amblyopia can also benefit from the treatment.

You can use non-invasive measures like vision therapy, to treat amblyopia.

The misconception that a child’s vision could not be corrected past the “critical period” of age 8 was due to misinterpreted scientific research.

The circuitry of the brain, which affects amblyopia, can be changed at any age.

Patching alone may result in only a short-term fix because the underlying binocular vision problem is not being addressed.

These are important concepts to understand as you begin to seek out your treatment options. We encourage you to learn more about them, from a behavioral optometrist who specializes in vision therapy, in order to pursue the most effective plan.

]]>Prevention is better than the cure!https://www.sightwork.com/2017/08/24/prevention-is-better-than-the-cure/
Thu, 24 Aug 2017 17:43:33 +0000/?p=3063At the beginning of my career as an eye doctor, I was fortunate enough to see the majority of the children in our private practice. Once I started examining a large number of children, I realized that binocular vision problems are present! I was amazed at the frequency and variety of deficits that I was seeing. The only consistency was that all of the children were struggling in school. Grades were not always poor, but these children were working really hard to achieve academically.

Why is Vision Therapy So Important?

Vision therapy is a non-surgical therapy that involves a number of eye exercises, advanced optometric devices and vision-enhancing techniques. All of these techniques have the ability to address and cure any common vision problem your child may have. If your child undergoes vision therapy sessions early on, this will significantly limit progressive worsening of the problem and the resultant delays in learning.

The most common signs of vision problems that may be affecting your child are:

Abnormally long time taken when doing homework

Interpreting letters such as ‘b’ as ‘d’ while reading or writing after the age of 8

Display of poor reading/writing/spelling ability

Re-reading or skipping of lines when reading

Short attention spans when doing schoolwork or reading

Blurriness and headaches

Excessive rubbing of eyes with extended near work

Display of frustration with schoolwork

These signs could be present in your child due to an underlying vision or visual processing deficit that is affecting the way in which your child reads or learns. Please contact us for information on how we can help.

]]>Autism: The World From A Different Perspectivehttps://www.sightwork.com/2017/08/14/autism-the-world-from-a-different-perspective/
Mon, 14 Aug 2017 18:27:47 +0000/?p=3054Our vision therapy clinic has the pleasure of working with children of varying ages that have autism spectrum disorder. Multiple therapies are often offered to these families, so let’s review vision therapy a little more specifically.

Observing a child’s behavior will often tell you how they are functioning, so behaviors (constructive and destructive) are very important. Many patients with autism spectrum disorders have difficulty with:

eye/hand coordination

fine motor skills

large motor skills

eye contact

sensitivity to light

impulse control

understanding one’s physical place within an area

depth perception (causing clumsiness)

Many of these symptoms can be caused by undiagnosed vision issues such as eye teaming disorders, strabismus, or other visual/perception disorders. Some children with autism use visual information inefficiently. They have problems coordinating their central vision with their side vision. When asked to follow an object with their eyes, they usually do not look at it directly. They scan or look off to the side at the object. These individuals may have difficulty maintaining visual attention. They do not trust the visual input that is coming in and have difficulty making sense of the visual information.

Visually defensive children avoid contact with specific visual input and may have hypersensitive vision. They have difficulty with visually “holding still” and frequently rely on a constant scanning of visual information in an attempt to gain meaning. Once central focus is gained; they ignore side vision and remain fixated on a task for excessive periods. Since the visual system relates to motor, cognitive, speech, and perceptual abilities, these areas may also be affected when the visual processing is interrupted.

Eye teaming and the processing of visual information are skills that are not tested at your routine comprehensive eye exam or at your pediatrician exam. Developmental optometrists are equipped to measure, observe behaviors and develop an individualized plan that understands your child’s needs. Please seek an evaluation if your child struggles with any of these issues.

]]>Comprehensive Exam vs. Binocular Vision Examhttps://www.sightwork.com/2017/08/07/comprehensive-exam-vs-binocular-vision-exam/
Mon, 07 Aug 2017 16:13:38 +0000/?p=3051Comprehensive eye exams are VERY important. They measure visual acuity and any prescription needed to improve the acuity. Most people want to see perfectly and often, glasses and contacts are all that is needed to improve their sight. Comprehensive exams also evaluate the health of the front and the back of the eye. The pressure inside the eye is measured to determine the risk of glaucoma. Frequently, eye health issues are found that could point to problems as the person matures, so this information is of extreme importance. In addition, systemic (general body) health problems can be found by changes found inside the eye during the exam.

The binocular vision exam is examining how the two eyes work together. These exams are for many more conditions other than a “lazy eye.” The binocular vision exam includes the evaluation of the following skills:

Near focusing skills (accommodation)

Eye posture (distance and near)

Eye fixation and coordination

Eye movement and tracking (including converging

Depth perception

Localization of a point in space

Suppression of either eye

Visual Motor Skills

Visual Information Processing

Directionality and laterality of body position

As you can see, these exams have a much different focus and gather different information. Start with a comprehensive eye exam. Make sure to mention all symptoms or problems, especially any which are related to academics. Binocular vision exams can be made without a referral if your eye doctor is not familiar with a specialist in your area.

]]>Summer Fun!https://www.sightwork.com/2017/07/10/summer-fun/
Mon, 10 Jul 2017 16:36:17 +0000/?p=3037Summer is a fun time to enjoy a variety of sports. At Sightwork, we have the pleasure to work with athletes on several different levels. Sharpening athletic skills by improving visual performance and rehabilitation following a brain injury are two of the ways we can help athletics.

Brain injuries and rehabilitation: Concussion is a mild form of traumatic brain injury. After sustaining a brain injury from a blow to the head (including sports related, falls or motor vehicle accident), patients often have a variety of lingering symptoms. Life altering symptoms include confusion, headaches, disorientation/dizziness, vomiting and/or nausea, unsteadiness, light sensitivity, blurred vision, double vision and photophobia. These symptoms results in academic problems such as loss of place when reading slow reading and trouble with comprehension.

Optimal visual performance improves athletic skills: Well above average visual skills are hallmarks of elite athletes. Eye-hand coordination, fixation, tracking peripheral awareness and many other skills must be well developed to meet the demands of most sports. An individualized vision therapy plan is designed to meet the demands of each athlete’s sport.

Vision therapy is not instituted to simply strengthen eye muscles, but rather is done to treat functional deficiencies in order for the patient to achieve efficiency and comfort when using the visual system. Both sports and academics are optimized when the visual skills are in place.

Let’s review some of the additional benefits that we have personally experienced with our therapy patients. Distracting behavior during near tasks can be eliminated, such as blinking, shaking of the head, rubbing their eyes and/or watering. This is because the visual skills for tracking, focusing and eye teaming are able to accomplish the task much more efficiently. Everyday skills, such as tying shoes and riding a bike become easier. In one particular child, she no longer got lost in a crowd. Another no longer suffered from motion sickness and was able to ride all the way to Florida without getting sick. Coordination and body balance improves when your visual system is functioning accurately.

Probably the most touching benefit that we see is improvement in a child’s self-confidence. Children stand taller, make better eye contact and converse more naturally. Their social skills improve as they feel confidence and feel equal with their peers. By the end of a vision therapy program, children not only have the “ingredients” to complete the recipe for successful learning, but they also have the increased confidence to apply and use the skills. After therapy, we are all smiling!

]]>Successful learning comes from an efficient visual system!https://www.sightwork.com/2017/06/21/successful-learning-comes-from-an-efficient-visual-system/
Wed, 21 Jun 2017 15:46:49 +0000/?p=2976In the classroom, eighty percent of our learning comes from our visual system. Many people think of vision being solely 20/20, but the clarity that we see is only a part of the road to successful learning. Reading alone requires many fundamental visual skills. The two eyes need to be able to fluidly move together along the words. If this doesn’t happen, words are skipped and lines are re-read. Also, while we read, the eye’s focusing system needs to keep the words clear, especially when our eyes are moving back and forth from a page to the smart board. Last, but not least, once the information is captured and sent to the brain, the brain has to make sense of what it receives (and remember it!).

Reading the chart at a school screening or the pediatrician’s office can miss important deficits in any child’s visual system. The screening only charts measure distance vision, whereas most learning in the classroom is concentrated at approximately 20 inches. Visual performance can function differently at the different viewing distances.

Comprehensive eye exams will measure the need for glasses and evaluate the eye health. If learning related problems persist despite a normal eye exam, talk to your eye doctor about an evaluation with a behavioral optometrist for a binocular vision and visual perceptual evaluation.

]]>Welcome to our New Websitehttps://www.sightwork.com/2017/06/07/welcome-to-our-new-website/
Wed, 07 Jun 2017 20:22:58 +0000http://default.ecpbuilder.com/?p=859We invite you to take a look around our new site to get to know our practice and learn about eye and vision health. You will find a wealth of information about our optometrists, our staff and our services, as well as facts and advice about how to take care of your eyes and protect your vision.

Learn about our Practice specialties including comprehensive eye exams, contact lens fittings and the treatment of eye diseases. Our website also offers you a convenient way to find our hours, address and map, schedule an appointment online, order contact lenses or contact us to ask us any questions you have about eye care and our Practice.

Have a look around our online office and schedule a visit to meet us in person. We are here to partner with you and your family for a lifetime of healthy eyes and vision. We look forward to seeing you!

Visit the Contact Us section of our site at anytime and complete the form. We’ll receive the form via email and call you back to confirm your appointment request. We’ll be sure to call you back within one business day.